Chapter 103

William’s move could be described as killing two birds with one stone. In his view, Brielle, who had an engagement with Spencer, would sooner or later stand on Ryan’s side. By nudging her into the spotlight, if she managed to ruffle Max’s feathers, and he decided to yank the director’s title from her, William’s son, freshly back from abroad, could slip right into that coveted role.

However, once Max learned about the building scandal playing out again, he was bound to start a thorough investigation. Ryan, the one who proposed this project, couldn’t escape the repercussions.

Face it, when Max decided to hold someone accountable, not even his father’s prestige can shield them. After all, Max held the reins with more than fifty percent of Dorsey International’s shares; he didn’t need anyone’s approval.

But in all his scheming, William overlooked one small detail–the relationship between Brielle and Max.

Brielle was itching to wrap up the meeting, so when William suggested she reach out to Max, she feigned difficulty. “Mr. Dorsey’s tied up in meetings, and I, uh, don’t have his direct line. But I could try shooting him an email,” she said, deliberately mentioning she didn’t have Max’s contact to prevent Emily from going ballistic and leaking some scoop about her and Max.

The last thing she needed was the Dorsey clan getting suspicious. By openly admitting she had no private dealings with Max, she was effectively inoculating herself against any future doubts from the Dorseys gathered there.

Ryan was visibly irked by the turn of events, but with William’s words. hanging in the air, any further debate would only prolong the meeting indefinitely. He shot Brielle a look, silently asking her to stay behind.

And she did just that. Once the room cleared, leaving only the two of them, the air felt charged.

“Brielle, has Spencer been chatting you up about work lately?” he asked, a veiled reminder that she had snatched the position from Spencer and that it was only a matter of time before it would be returned.

Brielle had to laugh. She looked him straight in the eye. “You should know your son’s true colors better than anyone.”

Spencer wasn’t cut out for business. The only reason he’d landed the director gig in the first place was thanks to Max being out of the country and Ryan’s behind–the–scenes maneuvering. Now that Max.

was back and taking things seriously, Spencer’s incompetence was laid bare for all to see.

With no one else around, Ryan stepped closer and lowered his voice, issuing a thinly veiled threat.

“Brielle, as long as you’re in Beaconsfield, you’re in my world. I’d advise you to play nice, don’t cross me.”

Brielle’s grip tightened on her pen, pausing mid–scribble.

Ryan mistook her silence for fear and retreated with a self–satisfied look. “I know how fond you are of Spencer. You’ve always looked out for him. Just toe the line, and I’ll make sure he treats you right. He’s young and restless, that’s all.”

It was as if he was saying, give Spencer time to sow his oats, and I’ll make him come around to you, but that was contingent on Brielle adding value to the family.

She nearly gagged at the thought but knew better than to confront him. head–on. If Ryan decided to crush her, she stood no chance.

Taking her silence for compliance, Ryan pressed his advantage. “You can get Max to sign off on the Alpha project, right?” After all, Max did seem to have a soft spot for her.

A sharp glint passed through Brielle’s eyes as she slowly lifted her head. “I’ll do my best.”

Ryan seemed pleased with her response and left the conference room.

Once the door clicked shut, Brielle finally set the pen down. Getting Max. to invest in Alpha? Ryan was seriously underestimating him. The figures Ryan presented today might look good on the surface, but they wouldn’t stand up to scrutiny.

Alpha might appear profitable, but its free cash flow was pitifully low.

Max’s knack for precision in his acquisitions and investments came from a deep understanding of free cash flow and core values. The intrinsic value behind a company’s stock was its ability to generate free cash flow. The long–term state of a company’s free cash flow was the true measure of its investment worthiness. Clearly, Alpha was failing on this front.

Brielle returned to her desk and composed an email to Max. After much deliberation, she couldn’t resist sending just a period. It wasn’t until the end of the workday that she received a reply- a single question mark.

Despite a day heavy with gloom, that question mark somehow lifted her spirits. She chuckled, typing back, [Uncle Max on a business trip for a few days?]

No response.

She lingered in the office until nine, working overtime and awaiting his answer. Before shutting down her computer, she sent over the meticulously prepared Alpha company data.

Back in her apartment, she powered up again to find his reply. This time, two question marks.

Anyone else might find his brevity dismissive, but Brielle sensed a hint of intimacy in those punctuations. For someone as serious as Max, it was probably the most casual email exchange he’d ever had.

She flashed a wry smile.